Automatically-directed headlight.



H. A. MILLER.

AUTOMATICALLY DIRECTED HEADLIGHT.

APPLlCATION FILED APR.2,1917.

Patented July 24, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS A. MILLER, OF SELBY, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATICALLY-DIRECTED HEADLIGHT.

Application filed April 2, 1917.

rected Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to that class of devices in which a head light of a car is automatically turned with the turning oi the which the car is traveling. The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be simple and iui-xpcn sive, which will not be affected by the verilcal motion. of the car, the parts of which will lac-prevented from. rattling, so that the device may be noiseless, and in which any horizontal vibration of .the lamp due to Slight changes in direction of motion of the 'front wheels will be avoided, thereby eliminating the flickering light which would otherwise be produced by said lamp and cause nuch annoyance to the driver of the can .In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a broken front view of an automobile equipped with my invention; Fig. 3 a broken side view thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a. plate forming a part thereof; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a. shaft,'show-- ing an arm in plan view; Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view showing the shaft and arm in side view; Fig. (i is a plan view of a. clamp showing an arm supported thereby; Fig. 7 is a rear View of said clamp; Fig. 8 is a side view of a spindle and parts connected therewith.

I have herein shown my improved device as applied to a Ford car, although, with suitable changes which will readily suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic, it can equally well he applied to a car of any other make.

Referring to the drawingl indicates the front axle of a car and Q the spindle con- Around said rod, a. lrttle to one side of its center, is S(-.(',lll0(l a l :3, through a hole in the front end of necting rod thereof.

which is secured by a. nut ta bolt 6. havinp a pin 7 extending upwardly from the head 8 of the bolt. Said pin passes through a. longitudinally extending slot!) in the rear end of a curved arm 1]. Around the pin 7 is a l Specification or Letters Patent.

Serial No. 159,145.

rubber tube or washer 12 which upon the head 8 of the bolt, and on which the arm 11 Ln res A cotter pin 13 passes through the pin ear the top to limit the upward movcmentof the arm 11 around thepin 7.

The front end of the arm 11 is forked, as shown at 14, the fork members extending on opposite sides of a Hat linger 16, extending ri-mrwardly from the lower end of a vertical shaft 17, said members being pivoted to said linger by a bolt 18. As said arm 11 is 3 v Y I k 1 I front wheels-oi the car, so that the illmmnaa tllilllflll, i w p mllugh turns the finger fl f b i di t d i p u and also the shalt ll about its axis.

The outer end of the linger is of such width that ,it is always contained between the forks of the arm 1'1, to strengthen the connection ho- T tween the arm and the linger. Said shaft 17 .has a lower bearing; through a forward extension 21 from a plate 22, which is secured n l between the lower edges of the side members of the channeled piece 23. between which are contained the leaves 24 of the front spring of the car, said plate being held against the lowermost leaf by the U-bolts 26 which are already used to secure the spring in said channeled piece 23.

To attach. the plate 22, it necessary to slacken the nuts from the U-bolts 26 to permit said U-bolts to drop a sullicient distance, insert the plate 22 between the U-bolts, and at thc'same time moving it, first, in one direction and then in the other, and then to tighten the nuts on the U-holts. The upper end of said shaft 1.7 is threaded, and is screwed into a socket in the lower lend of a spindle 27,:1 locknut 28 being lscrewed upon said. shaft below said spindle Zto firmly lock the spindle to the shaft so that lit will turn therewith. The upper end of ithe spindle is reduced in diameter, as shown 'gat 29, and extends through a bearing 31' in 2,,the front end-of an arm the rear end of which is secured by a nut 33 to a clamp 34, clamped around the radiator neck 36. A lcoiled spring 37 is compressed between a |shoulder 38 on. said spindle and a liber Patented July 24, 1917.

lwasher 39. A nut 42 is screwed upon the luhli'er end of the sP and said washer 39* 4 and a fiber washer all are thus pressed itively of the arm 32.

From the spindle 27 extends forwardly an arm 43, having in its forward end a hole in which is clamped one end of a horizontal arm 44-, the other end of which carries a lstandard 46 supporting a lamp 47.

It results from the above construction that {against the lower and upper faces rcspcc-.

any longitudinal motion of the spindle connecting rod, to cause the front wheels to turn, is accompanied by a Corresponding transverse motion of the rear end of the farm 11, thereby causing the shaft 17 to turn correspondingly, and turning the spindle 27, and the lamp 47. The reciprocating motion of thecar in a vertical directionwill ,infno way affect this turning movement, for it will not turn the effective'radius of the arm tending to turn the shaft 17; ()Wing'to'obin a car ofordinar .the horizontal vibration of the lamp, caused by the v front wheels, will cause the illumination proslight momentary deflections of the duced by the lamp to flicker, a very annoying result. I I

It is for the purpose of avoiding this flickering illumination that I provide the fiber washers 39' and 41, which are pressed against the arm 32 by-the coiled-spring 37 The pres'sure'of these washers produces an aaljlllll'llli of friction suflicient to prevent,-the

spindle from making slight changes in-"its angular jectionable flickering. At thesame time, the connections betweeuthe different parts are sufficiently loose to'permit the washers to ave this result. A, 3 important advantages of my improved 1 I device are its greatsimplicity, economy in construct-ion, and'theease with, WliICl'Iit can be attachedtoa'car. To, make the attach-' ment *t-hree changes are necessary, namely, to clamp the clamp 13, around the .spindle connecting rod, to clamp the clamp 34 around the radiator neclgla nd to secure the plate. 22 in position." Another important advantage attendant upon my improved device resides in the 'j'fact that, since the lamp is always plainly visible to the driver, the device is o great value-e ven in the day t me,

as the driver can always determine, by looking at the lamp, in what lineliis front wheels are directed, so, thathe knows'in what direction he will traveleither in startingQforward or in backing-, which he cannot do at present getting out of the car.

position and thus avoids the ob front spring of the automobile,

a longitudinally extending v Construction witl out I claim 1. In means for automatically directing an automobile lamp an upwardly extending pin secured to the spindle connecti-n rod of the automobile, a'bearing secured tothe front-spring of the automobile,- a shaft extending upwardly through said bearing, an arml'iivotally connected to the lower-end of said shaft to swing vertically and having therein-a longitudinally extending slot, said pin extending upwardly through said slot, a spindle secured to the upper end ofsaid shaft, an arm "of which the rear end is clamped around the radiator neck of the automobile, in which said spindle can, turn, av washer of yielding material around said spindle on 'each side of said bearing] a spring coiled around the spindle and conipressm'l betweenv a part of the spindle and tl'icwasliei' on one side of said bearing, a lock nut screwed upon said spindle (in the other side; of said hearing and between which and the bearing the other washer is interposed, an arm extending from said spindle and adapted to support the lamp. I

2. In means vfor automatically directing an automobile lamp, an upwardly extending pin secured to the V the automobile, a beariiig'secured to the front spring of the automobile, a shaft extending upwardly through said bearings,

an arm pivotally connected to the lower end- .of said shaft to swing vertically and having I therein a longitudinally extending slot said and the front end has a. bearing spindle coni'iecting rod of pin extending upwardly through said slot, 7

an arm of which the rear end is clamped" around the radiator neck of' the automobile,

and the front end prevents horizontal displacement of the shaft while permitting it to rotate about its axis, means for frictionally resisting'said rotary movement, and

means, rotatable with said shaft,- for supportingthe lamp.

3-, In meansfor automatically an automobile lamp, an upwardlyextending pin secured to the spindle connecting rod of the automobile,-'a bearing Secured to the a shaft for recting v supporting the lamp and extending upf wa'rdlythrough said bearing, an arm pi\* ot'ally connected to the lower end of said sha ft to swing \ei'itically and haying therein slot, said pin extending, upwardly an arm of which the rearendis clamped aroundkthe radiator neck of the automobile,

' and the front end prevents horizontaldisthrough said slot, and" placement of the shaft/while-permittingsaid shaft to rotate about its axis.

HANS ampmin, 

